Mazda CX-30 to Slot Between the CX-3 and CX-5

Based on Mazda’s latest Skyactiv chassis, it will come to the U.S. soon.

Mazda unveiled its new CX-30 compact crossover, which will slide into the space between the CX-3 and CX-5 when it goes on sale in Europe this summer. It will feature the Skyactiv-X spark-controlled compression-ignition engine. The Mazda CX-30—it will use that name in our market, while the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9 will remain the same—will be imported to the U.S. by the 2020 or the 2021 model year, according to a spokesman, which means it likely won't come Stateside until early next year.

The new crossover's Skyactiv-X engine will make "around 180 horsepower," says Mazda Motor Europe president and CEO Jeff Guyton, which indicates it's essentially the same 2.0-liter inline-four as in the all-new Mazda 3. Guyton touted the CX-30's "roominess, ample cargo space, and proportions," and said it will feature the sort of steering, ride, and handling dynamics for which Mazda is known.

It also appears to give a nudge to Mazda's move upmarket into the semi-premium space, and is fitted with the brand's special new seats that match the natural curvature of the human spine. These seats also feature in the new 3. The CX-30 will have segment-leading noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) characteristics; optional all-wheel drive, and a new audio system, plus i-Activesense automated-driver assistance systems that include lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian sensing, and adaptive cruise control.

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The Mazda CX-30's press release offers scant information and no spec sheet, though a spokesman tells us that its wheelbase is "close" to the CX-3's, which would make it more of a subcompact than a compact. Its roofline cants down slightly starting at the C-pillar, giving it a more coupe-like appearance than its CX-3 and CX-5 siblings.

Whenever it arrives in North America, the Mazda CX-30 will be imported, as it isn't the unknown Mazda crossover already slated to be built in the new Toyota-Mazda joint-venture assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama, which will also build the compact Toyota Corolla. Within two years, Mazda could boast a five-model lineup of crossover SUVs for sale in the U.S., including the CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, the Alabama-built model, and the CX-9.